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# TASD Format Specification
## Introduction
Created to be hardware and software agnostic, the Tool Assisted Speedrun Dump (TASD) interchange format uses a key-based, binary, packet format to break up pieces of information into easily-parsable and forward-compatible chunks. The format is extensible by simply defining additional keys or value types as necessary. When parsing the file, software can skip any packets whose key is unknown or unsupported.
Keys can be used multiple times or completely omitted as needed. This reusability eliminates the need of a predefined delimiter to separate pieces of data such as a list of TAS authors.
While files generated by emulator dump scripts should provide as much as much information as possible, because keys are optional, the file can be expanded later with any additional data as desired. No intermediary file format is necessary.
## Header
A very short binary header is used for special/unique data, in the following order:
```
54 41 53 44 00 01 02
└───Magic #───┘ └─Version─┘ └─Key Width─┘
```
The magic number is the ASCII equivalent of `TASD`. The key width defines the how large each key is (in number of bytes). It's unlikely it'll ever be larger than 2 bytes, but it's specified for the sake of forward-compatibility.
## Packet Format
Packets are made up of four parts: `[key] [length exponent] [payload length] [payload]`
Because a payload could be as small as a few bytes, or much larger than a 16-bit number could convey, a _**length exponent**_ is used to define how many bytes make up the _**payload length**_. Whereas the _**payload length**_ defines how many bytes are in the _**payload**_ itself.
### Examples
Below is the hexadecimal representation of a package, with some 2-byte key, and a payload that is 5 bytes wide:
```
A8 2F 01 05 00 11 22 33 44
└─key─┘ └──┘ └──┘ └───payload────┘
```
Here is another example of a different key, with a payload that is 260 bytes wide:
```
A8 2F 02 01 04 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F
└─key─┘ └──┘ └─────┘ 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F
......
F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FB FC FD FE FF
00 01 02 03 04 ┌────payload────────────────────┘
└───────────────┘
```
## Key Definitions
Packets will often have an intended size depending on the key, however, they will still follow the packet format. Some keys will have a list of type specifiers with defined ID values.
_Reminder that every key is optional, and can appear across multiple packets as necessary._
#### Console-agnostic Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Name | Description
0001 | 1 byte | ConsoleType | The console this TAS is made for.
-> 01 = NES
-> 02 = SNES
-> 03 = N64
-> 04 = GC (GameCube)
-> 05 = GB
-> 06 = GBC
-> 07 = GBA
-> 08 = Genesis
-> 09 = A2600 (Atari 2600)
0002 | 1 byte | ConsoleRegion | Console region required to play this TAS.
-> 01 = NTSC
-> 02 = PAL
0003 | variable | GameTitle | (string) Title of the game.
00xx | ? bytes | | Some kind of hash
00xx | ? bytes | | Some kind of hash
00xx | ? bytes | | Some kind of hash
0004 | variable | Author | (string) Name of one author of the TAS. (e.g. "Bender B. Rodriguez")
0005 | variable | Category | (string) Category of the TAS. (e.g. "any%")
0006 | variable | EmulatorName | (string) Name of the emulator used to dump this file.
0007 | variable | EmulatorVersion | (string) Version of the emulator.
0008 | 8 bytes | TASLastModified | (Unix epoch in seconds) Last time the TAS movie was edited. Usually TASVideos.org publication date.
0009 | 8 bytes | DumpLastModified | (Unix Epoch in seconds) Last time this file was edited.
000A | 4 bytes | NumberOfFrames | Total number of frames from original movie, including lag frames. (useful for calculating movie length)
000B | 4 bytes | Rerecords | TAS rerecord count.
000C | variable | SourceLink | (string) URL link to publication, video upload of this TAS, or any other relevant websites.
000E | 2 bytes | BlankFrames | Signed 16-bit number of blank frames to prepend to the TAS inputs (positive number), or frames to ignore from the start of the TAS (negative number).
000F | 1 byte | Verified | Whether or not this TAS has been verified by someone. (boolean, either 00 or 01)
0010 | 1 + v + k + n + p bytes | MemoryInit | Initialization of named memory space. (1 byte type, v = 1 byte exponent for k, k = length of n, n = name string, p = memory payload)
-> 01 = No intialization required (p = 0)
-> 02 = Custom: The 'p' section of payload is used to initialize the 'n' named memory space (e.g. "EEPROM", "WRAM", "Save", etc.)
-> 03 = All 0x00 (p = 0)
-> 04 = All 0xFF (p = 0)
-> 05 = 00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF (repeating) (p = 0)
-> 06 = Random (implementation-dependent) (p = 0)
00xx | 1 + 1 + 1 bytes | PortController | (PROPOSED) Specify which controller is plugged into a specific port number (1-indexed). (1 byte Port Number, 1 byte Console Type, 1 byte Controller Type)
-> xx 01 01 = NES Standard
-> xx 01 02 = NES Multitap (Four Score)
-> xx 01 03 = NES Zapper
-> xx 02 01 = SNES Standard
-> xx 02 02 = SNES Multitap
-> xx 02 03 = SNES Mouse
-> xx 02 04 = SNES Superscope
-> xx 03 01 = N64 Standard
-> xx 03 02 = N64 Standard with Controller Pak
-> xx 03 03 = N64 Standard with Transfer Pak
-> xx 03 04 = N64 Mouse
-> xx 03 05 = N64 Voice Recognition Unit (VRU)
-> xx 03 06 = N64 RandNet Keyboard
-> xx 03 07 = N64 Densha de Go (used for only 1 game)
-> xx 04 01 = GC Standard
-> xx 04 02 = GC Keyboard
-> xx 08 01 = Genesis 3-Button
-> xx 08 02 = Genesis 6-Button
-> xx 09 01 = A2600 Joystick
-> xx 09 02 = A2600 Paddle
-> xx 09 03 = A2600 Keypad
```
#### NES Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Name | Description
0101 | 1 byte | LatchFilter | Latch Filter time span (value multiplied by 0.1ms; inclusive range of 0.0ms to 25.5ms)
0102 | 1 byte | ClockFilter | Clock Filter time span (value multiplied by 0.25us; inclusive range of 0.0us to 63.75us)
0103 | 1 byte | Overread | The data value to use when overread clock pulses occur (active-low: 0 = HIGH, 1 = LOW)
0104 | 1 byte | DPCM | Whether or not DPCM is encountered in this game. (0 = false, 1 = true)
0105 | 6 or 8 bytes | GameGenieCode | (string) 6 or 8 character game genie code
01F0 | 2 bytes | 1 byte Controller Port Number (1-indexed), and 1 byte Controller Type identifier
-> 01 = Standard
-> 02 = Multitap (Four Score)
-> 03 = Zapper
TODO
```
#### SNES Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Description
02F0 | 2 bytes | 1 byte Controller Port Number (1-indexed), and 1 byte Controller Type identifier
-> 01 = Standard
-> 02 = Multitap
-> 03 = Mouse
-> 04 = Superscope
TODO
```
#### N64 Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Description
TODO
```
#### GB/C/A Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Description
TODO
```
#### Genesis Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Description
TODO
```
#### A2600 Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Description
TODO
```
#### Input Frame/Timing Keys:
```
Key | Payload Size | Name | Description
FE01 | 1 + n bytes | InputChunks | Port number (1-indexed) + a variable number of input chunks for that port.
Each chunk can vary in size depending on the controller type in use on the respective frame.
Refer to transitions to know if any controller types change mid-playback.
These packets, and the input chunks therein, are in sequential order!
Therefore, any following input packets are appended to the inputs contained in this one.
FE02 | 4 + 1 + n bytes | Transition | Defines a transition at a specific point in the TAS. First 4 bytes is the frame/index number based on all inputs contained in all FE01 packets. Then 1 byte specifying the transition type. Followed by a variable number of bytes if applicable.
-> 01 = "Soft" Reset (n = 0)
-> 02 = Power Reset (n = 0)
-> 03 = Controller Swap (n = ( 1 byte port number + 1 byte new controller type ))
FE03 | 4 + 4 bytes | LagFrameChunk | Specifies a chunk of lag frames based on the original TAS movie. First 4 bytes is the frame number this chunk starts on. Second 4 bytes is the number of sequential lag frames in this chunk.
```
|
